The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a subcaliber projectile which comprises a penetrator having a point at its front end, a propelling cage surrounding a portion of the penetrator, and a plastic cap arranged on a front end of the propelling cage and being tapered conically toward the penetrator point. The invention furthermore relates to a subcaliber projectile formed according to the method of the invention.
Subcaliber projectiles of the above-mentioned type are used in particular for firing from automatic weapons. Such projectiles comprise a penetrator having a point at its front end, a propelling cage surrounding the midportion of the penetrator, and a plastic cap that is conically tapered toward the penetrator point and is arranged or mounted on the front of the propelling cage. The plastic cap, also called a feeding cap, is designed to facilitate the automatic supply of the respective cartridge to the weapon chamber, as well as to protect the penetrator point and the propelling cage of the projectile. The placing of groove-shaped predetermined break locations extending in a longitudinal direction of the projectile on the surface of the feeding cap will cause a defined cracking of the feeding cap, in particular with spin-stabilized projectiles, while the projectile moves through the weapon or gun tube or after moving through the gun tube and directly in front of the tube muzzle, so that the respective segments of the feeding cap fly off to the side as soon as the projectile has left the tube.
With known projectiles, the plastic cap is attached to the front region of the propelling cage of either a snap-on connection arrangement, an adhesive or a screw connection. These known fastening methods have a number of disadvantages.
One such drawback with regard to the snap-on connection is that following the injection-molding of the plastic cap, a relatively involved mechanical reworking of the cap is thus still necessary. In addition, the plastic cap for the snap-on connection is already overstretched during the assembly and thus can crack along its predetermined break grooves. If the feeding cap is made of a very ductile material to prevent such a cracking, then the predetermined break locations do not crack all of a sudden in front of the tube muzzle, as desired, which lowers the hit accuracy considerably. The feeding strength of such caps therefore, as a rule, does not satisfy the requirements they are expected to meet.
The realizing of adhesive connections is also relatively involved. An additional problem with such a connection is that a nonuniform separation of the cap segments occurs, owing to the frequently somewhat different adhesion between cap and propelling cage. This often has a negative influence on the hit probability of the penetrator.
Finally, the connection with screws is also very involved. In addition, screw connections, as a rule, lead to a weakening of the cross sections for cap and propelling cage.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method for a simple and cost-effective connection between the plastic cap and the propelling cage, wherein a good and secure feeding must be ensured for the respective projectile during the firing with automatic weapons, as well as a good hit capability. Furthermore, a subcaliber projectile manufactured in accordance with this method is to be provided.